Grossmans fund scholarship at UH Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicin

Part-time Kailua residents Elizabeth and Dr. Richard Grossman are funding the tuition for a full-time medical student, from start to finish, through their newly established Elizabeth and Richard Grossman Scholarship at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). This four-year scholarship, established with their $120,000 pledge, will support a Hawai‘i resident who intends to practice medicine in Hawai‘i upon completion of their medical training.

"Four-year scholarships play a key role in helping JABSOM attract and retain the most promising future physicians for Hawai‘i," said Jerris R. Hedges, dean and professor of medicine, Barry and Virginia Weinman Endowed Chair. "Given the heavy debt load, typically $75,000, which is carried by our medical students, some of our new graduates choose to leave Hawai‘i to start their careers in states with a lower cost of living or higher physician reimbursement rates," he continued. "Given the physician shortage we face, we are very grateful for this scholarship that effectively gives Hawai‘i another physician."

Dr. Grossman is an internationally recognized plastic surgeon and the founder of the Grossman Burn Centers. He created a world-class, comprehensive burn treatment facility, dedicated to providing the best burn care available. His goals are two-fold: ensuring survival and restoring patients to as close to their pre-injury condition as possible.

Elizabeth Rice Grossman retired as a managing director with Soros Fund Management Company in New York. She is active in her adopted Hawaiian community and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Contemporary Museum of Hawai‘i. She spent many summers and Christmas vacations visiting her grandmother on Maui. Three years ago, the Grossmans moved to Hawai‘i part-time. They created this scholarship to invest in the future of Hawai‘i.

“We hope our gift will encourage others to provide scholarship opportunities at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, and we are proud to support the important efforts of the medical school in addressing the physician shortage in our state,” noted Grossman.